As storm season rolls in, some residents in Shell Beach are worried their neighborhood is not ready.
Strong winds and rain started to hit Shell Beach Friday afternoon. Megan West said she prepared for what she calls a normal part of living in the area.
“When it rains, it rains hard here," West said. "The biggest issue that we have is our drainage, where the water goes.”
Most of the streets in Shell Beach are sloped and lead to the ocean, but Brian McQuade said on flat streets near Santa Fe Avenue, the water tends to pool year-round.
“People have been living with it for a long time, but they're flat and they're not properly drained," McQuade said. "It's hard to move the water if you don't go real deep and slope it to the ocean. So that's what happens, it sits there.”
McQuade said if water reaches a drain, some debris buildup during heavy rain is almost unavoidable.
“You clean them up as best you can now, but during the storm you're going to get more stuff flowing down and covering them," McQuade said.
The City of Pismo Beach is planning to tackle the drainage issues in Shell Beach, Pismo Heights and Downtown Pismo Beach as part of the city’s Paving and Drainage Project set for 2027.
West said she worries about what an unprecedented El Niño forecasted for this year could mean for the Shell Beach community.
“I'm sad to hear that because I wish we had done this earlier, I really do," West said. "We're going to have — we're going to lose a lot. We're going to lose a lot.”
McQuade said with rain already here, waiting until things dry out before starting the work makes sense.
“There's not enough time now," McQuade said. "Those are big projects and it's already started, the weather. So best to wait and see what it does to us now and how to fix it.”
In the meantime, city leaders advise residents to call the non-emergency line to report blockages or any storm-related issues at 805-773-2208 and sign up for ALERTSLO.
The city of Pismo Beach also has resources on getting sandbags and more information on how the city is preparing is on their website.
